two World Cups in 8 months – Corriere.it

Call him the man of gods record, even if his France has not yet debuted in the Women’s World Cup. Why now Herv Renard it . The current coach of the BluesIndeed the first to play two World Cups in the space of just 8 months. From Qatar to New Zealand. From Salem Al-Dawsari’s Saudi Arabia to Pauline Peyraud-Magnin’s France. After 235 days, the French coach is back on the bench, from a men’s to a women’s national team, and always on the world stage.

He is the one who knows about records, as well as about international competitions: won the African Cup in 2012 with the Zambia and it was repeated in 2015 with the Ivory Coast becoming the first manager to win this trophy with two different selections. After that last continental success, Renard then returned to France for a short spell at the Lille. But him, man of nationals, didn’t have to wait too long before a new call-up as coach. In 2016, the Morocco; three years thereafter Saudi Arabia. The new and rich football that tries to establish itself with its talents in the most coveted international competition, inserted in the group of Argentina. Three games – precisely those of the group stage – and then the elimination but Renard was able to bend the future champions Argentina. Like a moral medal. The adventure in the Middle East continued until March when the Wendie Renard case broke out in France (only the same name, no relation to the player) who effectively kicked out the former coach Corinne Diacre by threatening not to participate in the World Cup if she remained on the bench. The FFF (French Federation) kept their player close and fired the coach and while all this was happening, Renard watched with interest in the fate of the French women’s national team. Its nickname is no coincidence the Fox. So in the midst of the tussle that shook the FFF arrived Renard’s self-candidacy. Insertion, goal. He obtained the consensual termination of the contract with Saudi Arabia which would have lasted another 4 years and agreed to earn just 10% of what he received in Riyadh.

But the challenge was too exciting, the opportunity too big. To continue in his dimension – that of a national team – but at the same time returning to his homeland aware that on that bench he will be able to obtain other important satisfactions. Now in fact with France al World
he wants to go all the way, because he has the means and team at his disposal to go far. Renard is not the type to get scared by challenges. Former central defender, had to say goodbye to the field at 29 due to a bad knee injury but quickly reinvented himself. In a completely different sector, at least part time. Because only with football he could no longer live. So he opened a cleaning company and devoted himself to this activity during the day while in the afternoon he trained Draguignan, which was also the last club he played for. More than 20 years have passed since then, so much changed and many national teams has coached Renard who has made football his life (again). A long journey that brought him, indeed brought him back to his native France but also to a World Cup.